A work machine, such as an excavator, may include a bucket for moving or excavating dirt or other types of material. A number of teeth are typically attached to a base edge of the bucket in order to facilitate the excavating process. The teeth also help protect the base edge of the bucket from wear and tear encountered during the excavation process. Protection of the base edge extends the life of the bucket and reduces maintenance cost of the work machine. However, the teeth have to be periodically replaced due to the wear and tear they are subjected to during the excavation process.
Heretofore, some teeth have been secured to a bucket by first attaching an adapter to the base edge thereof and then securing the teeth to the adapter via a pin assembly. Typically, these pin assemblies include a number of parts which contact and exert a force on both the adapter and the tooth in order to effect the securement therebetween.
Another approach to secure teeth to a base edge of a bucket is to utilize a tooth bar. In particular, a tooth bar is designed to fit over the base edge of a bucket and a number of adapters are secured to the tooth bar. Replaceable teeth are then secured to the adapters with pin assemblies similar to the ones described above.
One disadvantage of having a pin assembly in contact with both the tooth and the adapter to effect securement therebetween is that the pin assembly may become loose as the tooth is subjected to substantial forces during a work operation. In particular, forces that are applied to the tooth during a work operation would then be transmitted to the pin assembly. Thereafter, forces which are applied to the pin assembly would be transmitted to the adapter. Consequently, the pin assembly would be subjected to a continuous compressing force during the work operation which may cause the pin assembly to become loose over a period of time. The presence of a loose pin assembly may cause inadvertent separation of the tooth from the adapter.
Furthermore, these types of tooth bars and pin assemblies typically include a relatively large number of parts which makes them relatively expensive, mechanically complex, and difficult to install.
What is needed therefore is a base edge protection assembly for an implement of a work machine which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks.